Ron,I do pray. Control is an illusion. I have no control over anything really except my choices. I have to believe that someone greater and wiser than me does have control and has some kind of plan. My prayers usually consist of trying to find that plan and cooperate. It seems to work for me. There is a tremendous relief and peace in believing that and in watching it take shape.

After many years of kneeling before a toilet bowl barfing my insides out as an alcoholic for 20 odd years, and forgetting my God. I've been sober for 32 years.

As I am trying to move on in my recovery and have read various healing books (Victims No Longer), (The Male Survivor 12 step book), and my T talking to me, that I should make peace with my higher power.

I have started, only 3 weeks into it. But I do pray, and I pray for my brothers right here and my military brothers too. I sure hope that they listen to their son on earth.

As I promised God & HIS Mother, that I will spend some of my time kneeling in prayer. Hopefully I can give HIM 20 odd years.

I offer you all, my prayers, my compassion, understanding and love.

Heal well my brothers, my family & my friends.

"I will take that lost boys hand and lead him from the darkness and into the sunshine, forever into eternity".By the grace of God.

Sans LogosMemberMaleSurvivor
Registered: 05/31/03
Posts: 5793
Loc: in my own world in pittsburgh,...

to connect with the spirit, i try to make formal prayer at least twice a day in the morning and in the evening, and informally, throughout the day. i follow the structure of the divine office but use the texts from 'the message' bible. i have both in printed form, but they can be prayed right from the computer using online links:

even though i think of jesus as the model of human action, i do not limit myself to 'christian' ideologies, but rather value the sacred words of all traditions. however, i love 'the message' text, because it is very accessible, using inclusive language, and written in everyday language; it really makes the sacred text come alive for me. rather than seeming 'historic' this translation makes the texts pertinent to my immediate now, framing all of these ancient situations as metaphors for those circumstances that confront me daily.

since i returned from the regional metropolitan community church this past weekend [which is my spiritual community here in pittsburgh], i have begun the practice of calling one of my fellow community members and praying with them usually in the morning. if no one is there when i call, i just leave a prayer in a message. doing this has really raised the roof on the quality of my own spiritual life. i am not sure why doing this did not come to mind sooner; probably as a result of the conference last week, which inspired me to know that my friends need to connect to the spiritual daily as much as i do. what a difference i sense of god's powerful presence in my life.

i wanted to share a text from todays office; it's funny that this was part of the office today, particularly in light of how i felt inspired upon waking this morning to share my prayer practices with our community. i hope it gives you at least a little hope, such as it gave me.

Quote:

Romans 12Place Your Life Before God 1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

the great lesson i learned in my spiritual life was that prayer is most effective when it springs out of and is based in community life. until now, i had not been able to connect with any spiritual community in the same manner in which i do mcc. with my mcc community, i have found a way to carry with me all the fruits of our weekend worship into each subsequent day. for the first time, in my faith life, i no longer feel like an island. what took you so long god?

....another thought, those of you who have favorite passages from the ancient>

I pray all the time. Here and there and everywhere throughout my day. It's just what I do.

Sometimes it's little things, sometimes it's where I'm struggling, sometimes it's just thankfulness. Just a little here and there all day.

The passage I'm studying/reading right now each day is 2 Peter 1:5-11

I usually read in the NIV/NASB. Never been a fan of "The Message" translation myself. Too much time in a Bible college digging into the original Greek/Hebrew I guess. I just with I could find my Greek lexicon!!! It up and went missing I can't find it anythere! :-( Actually I think my hebrew one disappeared too. Still have the interlinear bible though with all the reference numbers and what not.

Yes I pray.... maybe not as much as I should or need to. I fall in line quite often to the times when I let my own selfwill run riot before realizing that my spiritual life has taken a backseat.... so to speak.

When I do pray I try to give thanks and show gratitude for the many blessings that I do have and refrain from making a "wish-list" for santa.

Ever so slowly I realize that God / Great Spirit / Universal Consciousness whatever the term be refered to will place in my path the things and events that will produce the most benificial experiences for my growth. I have come to accept that there is a great amount of patience out there when it comes to getting through to me... haha.For anyone that is in doubt of a greater power or source :out there" just look in to the sky on a clear night and ask yourself "did man create all those stars?"

Blessings to allSteve

_________________________
When the pain of remaining the same finally outweighs the pain of change---things will begin.... life is meant to be enjoyed not endured.

Sans LogosMemberMaleSurvivor
Registered: 05/31/03
Posts: 5793
Loc: in my own world in pittsburgh,...

a prayer for today for all my male survivor family:

god, a better friend than you no one has. thanks so much for blessing us by giving us, in its many forms, the bread we need for living, for consoling us in our pain, and for making our hope fresh and new again today. help us to recognize that the gesture of every hand outstretched in an act of loving kindness and giving, is merely evidence of your presence in our humanity, that you are with us, in us, and among us being who you are at your best. in that realization may our hearts be always open in willingness to reconcile those difficulties that would divide us rather than unite us. may all our hours and minutes this day be spent in joyful rest in you. so be it.

Sans LogosMemberMaleSurvivor
Registered: 05/31/03
Posts: 5793
Loc: in my own world in pittsburgh,...

sharing a bit of inspiration from the message text which struck me during prayer this morning:

Originally Posted By: gal 2:19--->

I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily

then after reading keith's thread and meeting steppenwolf on youtube, i added this to my new list of inspirational moments, more words from god's mouth to my ears:

You're off to see the land of dreamsBe careful, things are seldom what they seem.Cling to your hopes, follow your heartDon't lose that sparkle in your eyesTo some empty consolation prizeStay on your course,follow the chartAnd if at times, you lose the lightThen let your passion be your guide

Strike a spark, fan the flameFeel it burn deep withinLet it rise and let it shineKeep it burnin',day and nightGuard it with your very lifeFEED THE FIRE, never let it die

You'll fly alone to reach your markDon't fear the silence or the darkThey'll be good friends,you'll learn to loveSolitude's no sacrificeTo catch a glimpse of paradiseMay you find peace and fly with the doveAnd when you finally reach your starAlways remember who you are

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